comic review

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Let’s Do It Already!” Vol. 8, by Aki Kusaka

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Since Keiichiro and Yuri have kissed, they’ve broken the rules and will be taken to Keiichiro’s grandfather to face the consequences.

You gotta respect a man who takes hot pot seriously.

That’s my favorite meal, right alongside nachos or a good burrito bowl.

Back to the point, it was nice to see Keiichiro do more things as opposed to Yuri being the one to be more proactive, albeit in the most bombastic, impulsive way possible within the confines of a young adult romantic comedy. Again, I love how honestly in love they are. Yeah, they’re still kids, and I get that this family has overbearing rules that make them want to rebel, but they are genuinely sweet together. 3.5 out of 5 for being cute but ultimately predictable.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “After God” Vol. 9, by Sumi Eno

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Tokinaga is still stuck as a dog but after he finds a way to escape, Wauke attacks the Anti-God institute to try and convince Waka to turn on them.

This is batshit insane. Tokinaga’s time travel abilities make things interesting, especially since others know about it or sus him out. It’s not used as a Deus ex Machina but as an additional tool for the Anti-God Institute. The fights are wild, but a lot of implications are still brewing by the end of it that I’m dying to find out more about. That’s fine, it’s keeping me involved and I’m having so much fun reading this. 4 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Magical Girl Dandelion” Vol. 1, by Kaeru Mizuho

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Tanpopo Ohaniami is offered the chance to be a magical girl and fight the Fiends that plague humanity. But the Fiend that has been her companion her entire life, Shade, doesn’t want her to get involved in this dangerous conflict.

This is gorier than I’d expected. Fiends eat people, and it actually threw me off for a second to go from the cute stuff to a severed head and body horror. Now, I love me a twist on the magical girl genre, and this is a compelling start. We have our plucky main character, hard-ass magical girl veteran, a supernatural sidekick, and hints of something bigger at play. Everything I like in an opening volume. The art fits both the cutesy stuff and the horrific, with some impressive creature designs. Just be aware that while this isn’t Magical Girl Apocalypse (at least not yet), it’s no Card Captor Sakura. It gets dark. 4 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 5, by Miyu Morishita

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In an attempt to be more involved, Yutaka is considering clubs to join, and Tsumiki decides to do the same. Meanwhile, a succubus named Ako sets her sights on Yutaka.

This volume is just Tsumiki and Yutaka being adorable. The introduction of Axo may seem like there’d be all this drama and angst, but we’re still in jovial slice of life territory. Tsumiki is her usual supportive, quirky bestie to Yutaka, who is trying his best. I’m enjoying the introductions of new types of mythical beings and, as these are teenagers, I’m relieved at the way Ako was handled. She’s not hyper sexualized, she just craves to be wanted and basks in the attention. It’s a cute volume. 3.7 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “The Climber” Vol. 1, by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, JiroÌ„ Nitta, Yoshio Nabeta & Hiroshi Takano

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

New student Buntaro Mori is a quiet loner who everyone pegs as a troublemaker until he shows skills at climbing.

I’m not that into sports manga, but I was honestly intrigued by the idea of competitive climbing. As this volume stands, it’s pretty much exactly like other shonen manga where the protagonist shows unusual prowess at a thing but is cocky and doesn’t want to learn things from the professionals, the protagonist has some tragedy/taruma, the rival… All the ingredients in this common recipe. Common but not boring. The art is able to make things appropriately dramatic and I can see continuing this series. 3 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Vagabond” Definitive Edition Vol. 5, by Takehiko Inoue

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers. 

Takezo faces Kohei, Master of Chain and Sickle.

While we learn Kohei’s backstory, we also learn about Kojiro, a deaf child raised by Jisai. Kojiro’s growth into a skilled swordsman takes up the bulk of this volume. It seems he’s destined from birth to wield a sword, but like a lot of stories in this genre, that’s a tragic fate. This had to be my favorite of the series so far. It’s everything I love about this genre, despite including some SA. 5 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Colette Decides to Die” Vol. 6, by Alto Yukimura

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Menthe is unwell, and Colette tries to save her. Colette also journeys with Hadies to the Frozen Wastes, where she may confess her feelings.

I haven’t been mentioning much about the inclusion of the gods. Dionysus and Hermes have great chemistry, and while Colette is being her usual inspiring self and her romance with Hadies is progressing, spending time with those two was a nice aside. In the back of my mind, I am concerned about the inevitable conflict between Colette’s drive to be an apotheary and being in a relationship with a god who will inevitably outlive her. We shall see! 4 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Rooster Fighter” Vol. 9, by Shu Sakuratani

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth, Keisuke, and Keiji are still searching for the Righteous Master to save Keizan while being pursued by a demon who wants to capture them.

This volume has some great lore as we finally get to meet the Righteous Master, and the demon hunting them gives us some fun action scenes. This is also a far more serious installment with only tiny bits of humor. The focus is on the brothers and more information about Righteous Eggs. I can feel the impending training arc coming up, but that’s still fun to see. You almost forget this is the demon fighting chickens series since it’s a good story. 3.7 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “The Way of the Househusband” Vol. 15, by Kousuke Oono

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In this volume, our favorite house husband:

  • Help sell some crepes
  • Visits an old friend’s grave
  • Helps procure gifts for Mother’s Day
  • Helps Yuriko find a good deal
  • Goes clam-digging
  • Miku has a bad day
  • Searches for some specific pickles

I can empathize with the pickle adventure. When you find a product that you like, there’s just no substitute. It is nice to see more characters roped into this madness. Everyone just rolls with it, I love it. It’s actually uplifting to read some of these since fewer people are being judgmental of Tatsu. This is pretty rapid-fire, with some small plotlines running through it, but it’s still so much fun.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Steel of the Celestial Shadows” Vol. 9, by Daruma Matsuura

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In Yumiko Village, Aki’s hometown, one of the 12 Divine Generals, Toki: The Rooster, targets Aki.

Toki is a scary villain. I think in general, enemies that can puppet your loved ones and allies against you are creepy. We also get to see the time when Toki and Bokutake trained together, and this makes up a big chunk of the volume, bookended by Toki’s attack. She is genuinely terrifying, and I’m a little annoyed that there’s a cliffhanger (spoilers?) without a plan to stop her. Sure it’s the classic “evil child” trope, but it is effective. 4.9 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.